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home decorating tips

small-accessories-guide-how-to-subtly-change-the-home-in-big-way

Often, we become a bit tired of our house looking the same old way, day in day out. We yearn for changes but don’t have the time or the budget to do anything drastic on a large scale. The good news is that we can make lots of small changes that all add up to something special. Check out these fantastic suggestions.

Art & Ornaments

We could go down the usual route of buying some prints we like from Walmart or somewhere similar, but that shows little imagination, doesn’t it? We could use a multitude of pictures and portraits to create a gallery wall. Other options include using stencils to create exciting patterns or even going to paint a mural if you are artistic. It is even possible to have custom wallpaper made up.

Shelves & Storage

What type of shelves and storage we use may not immediately seem like the type of choice that says much about our style, but they can make or break the mood of a room? Consider the most basic storage we can think of? Perhaps we could use cheap plastic storage boxes stacked along the wall; this would work in a garage or storage unit, but it’s not aesthetically pleasing at all. There are many better choices, and we should consider both the style and our taste. 

Books & Other Media

We cannot talk about shelving without having an idea of what we should put on them. The type of books, music, and other media we store on our shelves can say much about our personality. For others, it is ornaments or personal possessions. If storage were just about keeping our possessions in place, we wouldn’t bother, but it signifies what we are into.

Kitchen Tools

Sometimes we can be forgiven for thinking of the kitchen as purely functional, but there is a lot more to it than that. Creating food for the family takes up much more of our time than we realize. Even something as simple as this iron brush can look good if in keeping with the room’s theme overall. We should keep this in mind whenever we are purchasing anything for the kitchen. We could keep the kitchenware on a consistent style in many ways; by brand, by colour, or even by style and design. Consider we have an old farmhouse, and the kitchen is styled in a very traditional way; all of our cookware and other items must keep to this theme.

Eating Area

Somewhat connected to the kitchen, often literally, is the dining room or eating area. Some houses these days choose not to have a dedicated eating area and decide to have dinner in front of the TV, but for me, this is a big no! Sitting down to dinner can often be the only opportunity we have as a family to have a proper conversation about our lives and what we have been up to? These opportunities are invaluable and cannot be substituted for by anything else.

Subtle Themes

We have touched on the idea of themes up until now, but this is really a subject that requires some dedicated discussion. When discussing our potential kitchen ideas, we floated how we might buy items for a kitchen in an old farmhouse-style property; let us consider other ideas as well, what if we are living in an inner-city apartment. It is possible we could lay out the interior of such an apartment with décor that would normally be present in an older build, but it would be a bold move. A much more appropriate design would be to look to a modern and slightly minimalist look. The key in achieving a minimalist look is the effective use of space and light. Clutter is generally something we would always look to keep to a minimum, but to be minimalist is a step further than that. We must keep everything simple; if we consider the colour scheme, then it will not do to have too many involved; as little as two will look good. We must have space in between furniture, shelves, and artwork on the wall. It is essential to take a brutal and unwavering attitude to this style of decorating.

Door Handles

This may sound like something that is daft, to highlight door handles with a section devoted to such a small part of the house. It is possible that in many ways, no one really notices door handles, but you would certainly notice if they were wrong or out of place. What we are actually saying with this point is that you need to be mindful of all aspects of the house, no matter how small they might first appear.

House Numbers, or Name

Speaking of doors and entrances, we can also make our style be known by how we present the house number or name. There are so many ways we can subtly modify our house signifier. The first choice to make is whether we go for numerals, or the number spelled out in words? Using words can add a touch of class to the simple job of marking your house. But to take it a step further we can give our house a name. It is very easy to do as we are not actually required to change anything legally; we are simply referring to the property by a different name. You can pick a name in many different ways, it could 

Plant Life

If we add a splash of green, it always livens the home up. House plants are a great way of connecting with nature and making the house feel natural and smell great. It can give a fantastic sense of achievement to see something we’ve looked after grow and thrive in our home. Plants can be a lot of work if we keep a lot, but others are virtually no work at all, take cacti as an example; they barely need water and pretty much are self-sufficient.

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how-to-decorate-with-stripes

Stripes are a classic and even better they can work with any decor style!  If you have read any of our posts, you know that we love a print and mixing patterns.  So if you are thinking of trying out a pattern in your space consider a stripe – it’s very transitional, it come in all scales and colours, too! You can’t go wrong!  Not sure where to add this classic pattern? We have some ideas for you!

Wall treatment

– whether it’s wall paper or a streamlined paint job – try stripe son the wall.  You can get as big and bold as you like in terms of colour and scale – or opt for a classic neutral. It could fill an entire room or just an accent wall.  We also love to layer our patterns, so don’t be shy to add some art, photography and mirrors over your striped wall.

Pillows

– this is an easy addition (or subtraction) in a room.  Adding some printed pillows can completely elevate the look of your room.  There’s just something about a pattern that adds a designer look to a space.  Some of the great things about pillows is that they aren’t permanent, the selection is endless and they are affordable!  On a sofa, side chair, bed – they work everywhere!

Furniture

– this might be an intimidating step for many but trust us!  A stripe furniture piece can really add a WOW factor to a space.  We do recommend sticking with a neutral palette if you are opting for a pattern piece – it’s easier to work with long term as you want to change up your decor.  And for someone that likes neutrals this can add another sophisticated element to your room, mix it with some other patterns and some solid to give it a designer look.

Drapery

– We love what window coverings can do to a space – from a functional side but also a decor side – sure they block the sunlight (or an unpleasant view) but also add a softness and again, visual interest in a room.  Whether it’s panels or roman blinds – we love them both!  This is a great option for a living space, dining room and a bedroom – we love a stripe window treatment in a kids’ room so timeless and it can grow up with them!

Floor covering

– we love area rugs in any room, they add another layer of softness, they are nice on bare feet,  they pull a room together and of course, it’s another opportunity to add some pattern.  Area rugs can be pricey depending on the size and material you choose, so if you are concerned about budget consider a classic pattern like a stripe.  A stripe area rug is a classic (we have said this a few times, but it’s true!).

Outdoor furniture and accessories

– decorating your outdoor living space is no longer boring! There are so many options for furniture, umbrellas and accessories, too.  We love the look of a stripe in an outdoor space, it’s so fresh and clean! Pillows, umbrellas, cushions and even rugs – it’s up to you!

Stripes are everything – fun, classic, fresh, bold, and also soft – it’s all about the colour tones and what you mix them with this print – you can’t go wrong with bringing stripes into your world…

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